Flag Adopted: 1 March 1967
Flag Proportion: 1:2
Use: Naval Ensign
The Naval Ensign is a white ensign version of the Australian National Flag, for use by official Government naval defence forces (i.e. the Royal Australian Navy) and on RAN on-shore establishments.
From the time the Royal Australian Navy was formed in 1911 until 1967, all its ships flew the White Ensign of the UK, i.e. the Royal Navy Ensign.
In March 1967, the Holt Government adopted a new design, one consistent with the design of the other two Australian Flags but with a white field. This change was made at the request of the British Government which was concerned about the possibility of attacks on Royal Navy vessels near Vietnam, though the United Kingdom was not involved in the Vietnam War
References
Australian Flags
Department of Administrative Services, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1995.
The Australian National Flag
ADepartment of Administrative Services, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1988.
Flags of Australia (chart)
John C Vaughan, Standard Publishing House, Sydney, 1983.